AVEVA (Schneider Electric) > Case Studies > Plant operational excellence thanks to AVEVA IntelaTrac Mobile Operator Rounds

Plant operational excellence thanks to AVEVA IntelaTrac Mobile Operator Rounds

Company Size

1,000+

Region

Europe

Country

Italy

Product

AVEVA IntelaTrac Mobile Operator Rounds

Tech Stack

RFID technology

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Industries

Oil & Gas

Applicable Functions

Discrete Manufacturing
Maintenance

Use Cases

Predictive Maintenance
Remote Asset Management

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

The Infineum Group is a producer of additives for lubricant oils. The company was established ten years ago through the merger of Paramins (the additives division of what was then Exxon Chemical) and Shell Additives. In Italy, the factory in Vado Ligure (near Savona) is the Infineum Group’s main European supply center for additives in lubricant oils. The company's production process is constantly monitored by electronic instruments and detects any deviation from the ideal working parameters. All this information is fed back to the DCS in real time. However, certain specific factors such as noise, vibrations or the presence of dirt or small internal leaks, are not efficiently measured or detected by automatic instruments.

The Challenge

The Infineum Group, a producer of additives for lubricant oils, was facing challenges in maintaining safety and productivity in their petrochemical plants. The proximity of the plants to inhabited areas made it essential for the sites to be safe and reliable at all times. The company was also struggling with the detection of critical indicators, such as vibrations or the presence of foreign particles, which automatic instruments do not usually detect effectively. The company wanted to maximize the value of the time and experience of the field operators. The company's goal was to increase the plant’s availability by anticipating any potentially damaging situations, optimize operators’ efficiency and reliability during inspection activity, and limit production downtimes to scheduled maintenance only.

The Solution

The Infineum Group decided to equip its staff with devices capable of collecting critical operational information in a quick and efficient manner. The group needed to identify a reliable tool that optimizes direct inspection activities. After an intense software selection process, the company chose AVEVA IntelaTrac Mobile Operator Rounds, the mobile workforce and decision support system by AVEVA. This solution is designed to enable workflow, procedural and general task management activities required to achieve reliable operations. These capabilities are enhanced by the tool’s key feature: allowing on-site operators to input information and receive support at any location within the plant, without the need of a physical connection. The decision was made easier by the fact that “IntelaTrac Mobile Operator Rounds was priced less than the other supplier,” said Bertossi.

Operational Impact

The AVEVA solution has enabled the plant to achieve a plant availability factor of over 90%.
The system has allowed the operational procedures for visual inspections of equipment to be optimized and standardized, thanks to the removal of paper reports and the intuitive nature of the handheld devices.
AVEVA IntelaTrac Mobile Operator Rounds features now allow operators to identify potential problems which were previously neglected, thus avoiding the need for any emergency intervention.

Quantitative Benefit